Apparatus for revivifying char



(k0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. V. V. BOORAEM. APPARATUS FOR REVIVIFYING: GEAR.

No. 584,071. Pabtented June 8,1897.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. V. V. BOORAEM. APPARATUS FOR REVIVIFYING CHAR.

No. 584,071. Patented June 8,1897.

fiiwdsay." M fizvenfar 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. V. V. BOORAEM.

APPARATUS FOR REVIVIFYING CHAR.

No. 584,071. Patented June 8,1897.

Em l/Ill! R Q ib rice.

JOHN V. V. BOORAEM, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR REVIVIFYING CHARL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,071, dated June 8, 1897'. Application filed July 17, 1896. Serial No. 599,505. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN V. V. BOORAEM, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Revivifying Char, of which the following is a specification.

In the apparatus heretofore commonly employed for the revivifioation of bone-black or, as it is commonly called, char for sugar refinin g and filtering purposes, the char after having been burned in retorts passes to coolers wherein by the actof cooling certain gases or vapors developed in it in the retorts and not expelled by the act of burning are condensed and caused to form tarry deposits, which to some extent close the pores of char and impair its filtering quality.

The object of this invention is to get rid of or dispel these gases or vapors between the retorts and the coolers and the invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed for that purpose.

Figure 1 of the drawings representsa front view of as much of a revivifying apparatus as is necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section taken in the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section taken in planes parallel with Fig. 1 on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 1 of the mechanism for working what are hereinafter termed the regulators, which form an important feature of my invention. Fig. 5 represents a transverse section of the lower parts of the retorts and the upright parts of the cooling apparatus and intermediate devices, which constitute the principal elements of my invention.

Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the fig ures.

A designates the bottom plate, constituting the base of the kiln structure,having the tubes B, which constitute the calcining or revivifying retorts, seated in it in the usual or in any suitable manner, and being supported on a suitable number of columns 0, only one of which is shown. The retorts are represented as arranged in rows, two of such rows being shown. Under each row of retorts B there is bolted to the plate A a box D, which may be called the receiving-box, and which runs under the Whole row of retorts. This box D consists of a bottom ,sides,and ends, and its top is open to the retorts. In its ends there are hand-holes with covers 6 to allow for cleaning it out when necessary. It is preferably not closely jointed to the bottom plate, but is slightly open arou nd its upper edges,as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, for the vent of gases from its interior. The said box has in its bottom a series of openings at, one directly under each retort, the said openings being considerably contracted as compared with the retorts. On one side of each of said openings is a slightly downward projection 1). Under each receiving-box D there is suspended by hangers E a rock-shaft F, which runs the whole length of the box and projects beyond one end thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This rock-shaft F carries a series of regulating devices or valves Gr, one for each retort, arranged under the respective openings at in the bottom of the box D for regulating the discharge of the char from the said box. The said regulating devices are represented as valves, having the form of segments of cylinders, arranged with their faces at some distance below the openings a, but close or nearly so to the lower edges of the projections 17.

The cooling apparatus for two rows of re torts is represented as consisting principally of an upper box or trough H, aseries of up right or nearly upright tubes I, and a series of lower collectingboxes J, all arranged on a sole-plate J said box or trough H and the series of tubes I and boxes J extending the whole length of the rows of retort-s, the said box H, which is open at the top to the atmosphere, being at such distance below the plate A that there is room for a free circulation of air between the retoris and cooling apparatus. The box or trough H is represented as suspended from the boxes D by the same hangers E which contain the bearings for the shaft F. The lower ends of the cooling-tube I are socketed into openings in the boxes J, and the said boxes, the sole-plate J common to all of the said boxes, and the tubes I are all represented as suspended through the sole-plate J* from the bottom plate A of the kiln structure by rods K. From the bottom of the box H a series of sockets 0 project downward for the purpose of receiving and holding the upper ends of the cooling-tubes I, and in the interior of the bottom of the said box these sockets have fnnnellike throats, as shown at cl d in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, the said throats debenching from the box with the funnelmouths at the interior thereof, so that there are no flat surfaces left within the bottom for the lodgment of the char and that a continuous movement of the char from the box to the cooling-tubes is provided for.

At the bottom of each of the lower boxes of the cooling apparatus there is provided in the sole-plate J* an opening 6, on one side of which is a downward projection f, and from the sole-plate J* there are suspended by hangers L two horizontal rockshafts llLwhich extend the whole length of the rows of retorts and cooling-tubes and which carry a series of segment-valves N, one for each opening c. It may be here mentioned that these valves and their shafts are such as have been used at the bottoms of the coolers of revivifying apparatus for the purpose of regulating the discharge of the char from the coolers.\ The rock-shafts F are each provided with an arm F, (see Figs. 1, 3, and 4,) and the rock-shafts M are each provided with an arm M, and the said arms are represented as connected with arms 0, which are rigidly attached to a horizontal bar 0, which is arranged transversely to the shafts F and M and which is fitted to slide lengthwise back and forth in guides attached to the columns (J. The longitudinal movement of this bar may be produced by any suitable means, as by an eccentric P, as shown in Fig. 4, for the purpose of producing the oscillating movements of the valve rockshafts F M, whereby the valves are caused to have to-and-fro movements. The connection between the arms 0 of the bar 0 and the arms F and M of the valve rock-shafts should be such as to provide for varying the length of the to-and-fro movements of the valves, and for this purpose I have represented the said connections as consisting of gab-hooks h, pivoted to the said arms 0 with provision for shifting the said gab-hooks from one to an other of a series of studs '5, arranged at different distances from the centers of the rockshafts on their respective arms F M. By this provision for varying the to-and -fro movements of the valves G and N, I am enabled to properly regulate the delivery of the char from the retorts to the cooling apparatus and its discharge from the cooling apparatus.

\Vithin or slightly above the open mouth of the box H there are arranged lengthwise of the box two screw conveyers Q, the shafts of which have bearings at the ends of the box and are geared together in such manner as to rotate in opposite directions, the said screw conveyers being intended to give a slight movement to the upper portion of the char, which is deposited by the regulating-valves in a pile, as shown atj in Fig. 5, within the box H. -Above the conveyers Q. and parallel with the shafts F are two air-pipes R, which are closed at one end and open at the other and which have numerous perforations 7c in their lower parts throughout their whole length. In the open ends of these air-pipes are introduced steam-injectors Z for the purpose of introducing into the said pipes a current of air which, with the steam from the ejectors, is caused to issue from the perforations kin small jets, which impinge upon the surface of the pile of char in the box H for the purpose hereinafter to be explained.

The operation is as follows: The boxes D being kept freely supplied with char from the retorts B, on the regulating-valves G and N being set in motion a measured quantity or char is caused to be discharged from the boxes D through the openings to onto the valves G at each movement of the said valves in the direction of the arrows shown upon them in Fig. 5. By the return movement of the said valves this char is pushed off them by the projections Z) on the bottom of the box and is caused to fall through the air into the box II. on the bottom of which it forms a pile, as shown at j in Fig. 5, and whence it passes freely into the tubes of the cooling apparatus. from the bottom of which it is discharged through the openings 6 by the movements of the regulating valves N, operating in the same way as the regulating-valves G, as above described,the discharges through a and e being regulated to properly correspond with each other.

The hot char discharged from the boxes D contains some vaporsor unfixed gases resulting from the decomposition in the retorts of organic matters which had been extracted from the filtrate in the previous use of the char. In consequence of the loose or diffused condition in which it falls from the valve G into the box II these vapors or gases are liberated from the char, and owing to the glowin g heat at which the discharge from the boxes D takes place a considerable proportion of such gases or vapors as are combustible will be consumed on exposure to the atmos phere, while such as are not combustible will escape. Then as the char at a glowing heat is deposited layer upon layer in the pile j in the open boX H the top layer is subject to still further exposure to the atmosphere, and a f urther combustion takes place by which all or nearly all of the un fixed gases or vapors, which would otherwise be recondensed and form tarry deposits in the char, are eliminated. The time of exposure of the char to the atmosphere, as hereinabove described, between the retorts and the cooling apparatus is very short, as the top'of the pile in the open box II is so quickly and repeatedly covered by the fresh deposits of the falling hot char, room being made for the fresh deposits by the withdrawal of the char from the bottom of the cooling apparatus.

Although by the combustion of the gases in the char during its fall through the atmosphere its temperature may be somewhat raised and the cooling process thereby postponed, the cooling will be commenced under cover from the atmosphere as soon as the deposits in the box 11 are covered up by the succeeding deposits and will be so proceeded with in the box H and tubes 1. The above operation is regulated so that the discharge of the char from the boxes D may be in such measured quantities as are found to be most effectively operated upon by the air by adjusting the connections 72, between the arms F of the valve rockshaft, and those 0 of the bar 0 to give a longer or shorter i-o-and-fro movement of the regulatingvalves G, according to the greater or less discharge required, a corresponding adjustment of the connections it between the said arms 0' and the arms M of the valve rock-shafts M being also made when required.

The action of the air in producing the com bust-ion of the gases or vapors in the falling char between the regulatin g-valves G and the box II and in the upper layer deposited on the pile j of char in the said box is assisted by the jets of air from the pipes R, which pass through the falling particles and impinge upon the surface of said upper layer, and the combustion in said upper layer is facilitated by the stirring action on said layers of the endless screw Q.

It may be here observed on reference to Fig. 5 that the downward projections b at the sides of the openings to in the bottom of each of the two separate boxes provided for the two lines of retorts are on the right side of the said openings in the right-hand box and on the left side of the said openings in the lefthand box, and as the valves G of the two boxes move in the same direction the said valves are caused to produce their discharges of the hot char alternately, so that the discharges from the two lines of retorts, though being deposited at or nearly at the same point, are deposited one upon anotherin rapid succession, and the deposits are quickly covered from exposure to the air.

vVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In. an apparatus for revivitying char, the combination of two or more retorts arranged in a row, a receiving-box placed under and common to all of said retorts and having in its bottom contracted openings under said retorts, a cooling apparatus comprising an open box located at such distance below said receiving-box as to provide for the free circulation of the air between them, and means for producing and regulatingthe discharge of the char through said contracted openings from the receiving-box into the said open box, substantially as and for the purpose de scribed.

2. In an apparatus for revivif yin g char, the combination of retorts arranged in two parallel rows, receiving-boxes located one under each row of retort-s in the row and having in its bottom contracted openings under its respective retorts, a cooling apparatus comprising an open box located at such distance below said receiving-box as to provide for the free circulation of air between them, two series of valves one series for each of said boxes to produce and regulate the discharge of the char from its contracted openings, and means of operating said two series of valves to pro duce alternate discharges of char from the two receiving-boxes into the said open box of the cooling apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. In an apparatus for revivifyin g char, the So combination with retorts and a cooling apparatus so located below them as to provide for a free circulation of air under the said retorts and above the said cooling apparatus,

of means of producing and regulating the discharge from said retoris to the said cooling apparatus and means for blowing air into the so-discharged char, substantially as herein described.

4. In an apparatus for revivifying char, the

combination with retorts and a cooling apparatus comprising an open box so located below them as to provide for a free circulation of air over said box, of means of producing and regulating the discharge of the hot char from the retorts to the said box, and means of stirring the upper stratum of char in said box, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination with the receiving boxes D and collecting-boxes J having opentoe ings a. and e in their respective bottoms, the cooling-tubes I between the said boxes, the two rocleshafts F an d M arranged respectively below the said boxes and carrying respectively valves, as G and N, for producing and regulating the discharges through said openings, the sliding bar 0 and means of producing the longitudinal movement thereof, and variable connections between said bar and said roclcshai'ts whereby the movements of no the said valves relatively to each other may be produced and adjusted; all substantially as herein described.

6. The combination with the calcining-retorts arranged in rows, of the receiving-boxes I I 5 D one for each row of retorts having openings in their bottoms one for each retort for the discharge of the char received from the several retorts, the rock-shafts F one for each row of retorts arranged under the said boxes I20 and carrying valves G one for each of said openings for producing and regulating the discharge throngh said openings, the open box H located below the said receiving-boxes and common to both, and the hangers E depend- I2 5 cut from said receiving-boxes and supporting both the said open box and the bearings for said rock-shaft, substantially as herein described.

J OHN V. V. BOORAEM.

Witnesses:

FREDK. Harms, GEORGE BARRY, Jr. 

